1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved communication device. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a computer implemented method and computer usable program code for automatically verifying incoming telephone numbers.
2. Description of the Related Art
Innovations in communications technologies have made a wide range of enhanced communications services available to a user. For example, a user may dial a telephone number at the press of a key by using speed-dialing, retrieve a telephone number for a missed call, view a telephone number of an incoming call on a display by using caller identification (caller ID), and send or retrieve a voice message by using voice mail. A communications provider often provides these services through a network such as an intelligent services network (ISN) that is privately owned but that works in conjunction with the public switched telephone network (PSTN). These services also may be offered by a dedicated device, such as a telephone with advanced electronics or a telephone answering machine, located at the user's premises.
However, one problem associated with current communication technologies is that there is no way for a receiving party to automatically verify an unknown incoming telephone number prior to accepting the incoming communication, such as a telephone call or text message. After the receiving party connects with the telephone number associated with the incoming communication, the receiving party may become worried that the incoming communication is unwanted or undesirable. Because there is no way to verify the unknown incoming telephone number, the receiving party must connect with the unknown incoming telephone number to ascertain whether the incoming communication is actually associated with a party the receiving party wants to communicate with. This process of ascertaining whether the incoming communication is desired may be very frustrating to the receiving party. In addition, the receiving party may be responsible for paying a completed call charge to make this determination without any assurance that the incoming communication associated with the unknown telephone number is a communication the receiving party wishes to receive.
Therefore, it would be beneficial to have an improved computer implemented method and computer usable program code for automatically verifying an unknown incoming telephone number prior to accepting the incoming communication.